USC’s Stem Cell Master’s Program: Scholarships, Curriculum and How to Apply

The University of Southern California runs one of the few master’s programs in the United States devoted entirely to stem cell science: the Master of Science in Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine at the Keck School of Medicine. In May 2025 the program announced nine scholarship recipients for the year, and in March 2026 it introduced four more. This guide uses those announcements as a starting point and explains how the program is structured, what it costs, how scholarships work and what international applicants need, as of November 2026.

The scholarship announcements

On May 1, 2025, USC Stem Cell introduced nine scholarship winners: Isabella MacLean-Cariello (Dean’s Fellowship), Becca Samuels (Cardinal Fellowship), Qiyi (Vivian) Qian (Choi Fellowship), Sahar Lavian (Dhablania-Kim Fellowship), and Hearst Foundations Scholars Danielli Cavallo, Samuel Corona, Maria-Teresa Mata Vivas, Harmony Whiting and Tianna Young. “Scholarships have changed lives and opened doors for so many of our students over the years,” said Francesca Mariani, the program’s faculty director, who thanked the Keck School Dean’s Office, the Hearst Foundations and other donors (USC Stem Cell, May 1, 2025). The recipients’ plans ranged from medical and dental school to PhD programs and biotech careers.

The number of awards varies from year to year. In 2023 the program gave scholarships to ten students, double the previous year (USC Stem Cell, November 7, 2023). On March 5, 2026, it introduced four recipients: Erik Gutierrez (Dean’s Fellow) and Logan Beharry, Ken Furuichi and Brian Rubio (Cardinal and Dhablania-Kim Fellows), supported by the Keck School Dean’s Office, the Dhablania-Kim family and an anonymous donor who established the Cardinal Fellowship (USC Stem Cell, March 5, 2026).

Program structure

The program takes one year, with an optional second research year that ends in a thesis. All courses are in person, and students can do hands-on work with more than 80 USC stem cell lab groups (USC SCRM program). According to the program curriculum:

One-year MS: 27 units. Fall core courses are SCRM 511 Developmental Biology and Human Embryology, SCRM 513 Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, SCRM 525 Tools and Techniques in Stem Cell Biology, a writing course, a current-topics course and an external speaker seminar. In spring, students take SCRM 515 Bringing Stem Cells to the Clinic (or SCRM 516 Cell and Gene Therapy Development on request), plus the seminar and current topics. Electives add two hands-on courses or independent research (4 units) and one 2-unit spring elective.
No thesis required in year one. A research rotation of about three to four months is optional, with permission from the program director and a faculty mentor.
MS with Research Year: 35 units. Students in excellent academic standing can petition, usually in spring, to stay for a second year of independent research and a master’s thesis (8 more units), ending in a thesis defense. The diploma is awarded after year two.

Admission requirements and deadlines

For the fall 2027 cohort, the application portal opened October 28, 2026, and the deadline is March 1, 2027; an online information session is scheduled for November 20, 2026 (SCRM Admissions). Requirements:

A bachelor’s degree or equivalent from an accredited institution, with a minimum 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale
No GRE, MCAT or DAT required; optional scores must be less than five years old
Two letters of recommendation on letterhead and a statement of purpose covering your reasons for applying, preparation, interests and career plans
Unofficial transcripts with the application (official transcripts go to USC Graduate Admission) and a $120 application fee

Cost and scholarships

USC charges graduate tuition by the unit. The program refers applicants to USC Financial Aid for current rates; other Keck School master’s programs list $2,539 per unit for 2026–27 (Keck Perfusion Sciences), which would put the 27-unit degree at roughly $68,600 in tuition before fees and living costs, so confirm the rate for your entering year. About 25% of students receive partial scholarships, awarded for strong academic achievement and community contributions, and more than 80% receive some form of financial assistance. Applicants should submit the program’s Cardinal and Dhablania-Kim scholarship form at the same time as the university application (SCRM Tuition and Aid).

What international applicants should know

English tests. International applicants whose first language is not English must take the TOEFL or IELTS, and applicants who earned their bachelor’s degree in a non-English-speaking country must submit scores. A TOEFL iBT of 90 with at least 20 in each section, or IELTS 6.5 with no band below 6, exempts students from additional English requirements. Applicants with a bachelor’s from an accredited U.S. institution do not need the TOEFL (SCRM International).
I-20. Admitted students receive an I-20 from USC Graduate Admission and then apply for an F-1 visa; students entering the U.S. on USC documents must register for the semester they were admitted to.
One year is short. The one-year track leaves little time for summer internships or research before graduation. Students aiming for PhD programs or research jobs should consider the research year or a research rotation.
Work after graduation. F-1 graduates can apply for 12 months of OPT, and graduates of degrees on DHS’s STEM Designated Degree Program List can extend by 24 months (Study in the States, STEM OPT Hub). Confirm the program’s CIP code with USC’s Office of International Services.
School profile. USC is No. 27 in the 2027 U.S. News national universities ranking.

References

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